


The Spirit of the Season

by Breathesgirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hermione’s Hideaway, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21820486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breathesgirl/pseuds/Breathesgirl
Summary: The Potters and Malfoys learn a lesson.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20
Collections: Hermione's Holiday Hideaway 2019





	The Spirit of the Season

“Seriously Mum? We don’t get enough cold and snow in the Highlands?” Thirteen year old James Sirius Potter asked as they stepped out of the port key office at the Alaskan Ministry for Magic in Juneau.

“You’ve known for a month that we were coming here, you could have packed heavier clothing, you could ask for a warming charm, and you could have voiced your concerns long before now,” Hermione said as she looked around for the floo they needed to get to their next destination. “Besides, your fathers have been here for the last two weeks, it’s not like they chose their work assignment.” She looked at her son and frowned, he really wasn’t dressed for the weather. “How did I manage to let you out of the house dressed like that?” She asked as she cast a warming charm. She pulled a trunk from her expanded bag, set it on the floor and expanded it. It only took her a moment to open the trunk and summon her son’s parka and boots, which had been bought for the occasion. James sighed in relief as he donned the extra layers.

“Besides,” she continued as she shrunk the trunk and returned it to her bag, “be grateful you’re not a girl. We had to deal with the cold and snow in skirts and knee high socks! At least you get to wear woolen trousers!

James rolled his eyes, he heard this argument every time he mentioned the winter weather at Hogwarts.

“Still going on about the dress code at Hogwarts, Hermione?” She whirled around at the voice and suddenly found herself engulfed in Draco’s arms as he prevented her from falling over. 

“Yes, Father, she has mentioned it at least five times in the last 24 hours, and too many to count in her letters over the last month,” James said as he stepped forward beside his Mum. 

Draco smiled at James and extended his hand; James’s shoulders slumped, it was back to business as usual then. James extended his hand and was surprised to be pulled into a manly hug. It only lasted a moment or two, but the three of them were smiling by the time Draco released his son. “Still have your dad’s hair, I see,” Draco said as he ruffled James’s hair.

James narrowed his eyes at his Father: usually not a good sign of an easy-going conversation, “So do you,” he said, and smiled when his parents laughed. 

They made their way over to the correct floo and made their way to the house Harry and Draco had rented for the season. Harry was waiting for them, arms open wide for his wife and son, and his husband, too.

That first night was spent as it always had been since their first child had gone off to Hogwarts for the first time; in a cuddle pile in front of a roaring fire, telling each other of their adventures since they parted on 1 September. That night was always reserved for reconnecting as a family: no matter what was going on in their lives, they always spent that first night back together cuddled together and loving each other as only those who are thoroughly loved can do. 

The next day was spent getting the house ready for Christmas and any guests they were expecting. This year it was just direct family since everyone else already had plans, so it was just the Potters and Malfoys.

Then they did any last minute shopping and enjoyed sightseeing in whatever city they were celebrating.

Finally, it was Christmas Eve Day and the rest of the family arrived. Scorpius arrived with his father’s parents, and Rose arrived with Hermione’s, and the evening was spent, once again, in a cuddle pile and catching up with each other.

Christmas morning was quite different from previous years, though. This year the kids each received one gift. The rest of the day was spent playing games, reading, and reconnecting with each other and God, no matter which God they believed in.

Fifteen year old Rose was the one who put up the biggest fuss about the lack of presents, as her parents had expected. Hermione had the perfect solution though, at least it was perfect to her. The house was in a predominantly muggle neighborhood so had all the muggle amenities, including a television and DVD player. She had bought a copy of the 2000 movie The Grinch and had watched it once before she let her daughter watch it.

In Hermione’s mind Draco was represented by the Who’s, all the presents without much thought behind them or what the season means beyond get, get, get.

Harry was The Grinch without the attitude. He had grown up unloved and unwanted, never getting even a Knut for a present, and being made fun of by his relatives, or bullied by other students.

She was Cindy Lu. She had questioned such things in the years before Hogwarts and had come to the conclusion, long before Jim Carey, that the season isn’t about presents, giving and getting. It’s about togetherness and love, and God. It’s about giving of yourself to those who are less fortunate, and taking whatever they can give in return: whether it’s a hug, or a smile, or a thank you, or nothing at all.

Rose was in tears by the time the movie was through, and went straight to her room, but she soon returned with a piece of paper with her thoughts on what she’d seen.

Rose was quite like her mum, bookish and smart, without the bushy hair: what had caught her attention was the same three quotes that had caught her Mum’s attention as well:

> _ “I'm glad he took our presents. You can't hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, because it isn't about the... the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell everyone... and me. I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family.” Said by Lou Lou Who, Cindy Lou’s dad, after the town discovered the Grinch had stolen their Christmas presents and food. _
> 
> _ "It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags.” Said by The Grinch when the residents of Whoville were singing joyously despite him stealing their Christmas. _
> 
> _ "Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” Said by The Grinch to Max, the dog, as he listened to the singing.” _

“I think I get it Mum,” Rose said once Hermione had finished reading what she’d written. “Christmas isn’t about the physical things, it’s about love, and friendship, and being together with everyone, no matter the circumstances. It’s about feelings, and things we can’t put into words. It’s about what’s in our hearts.”

Tears in her eyes, Hermione gave Rose the biggest smile she’d ever given, “What do you say we share your thoughts with the rest of the family?”

Rose smiled and nodded. She lead the way out of the room to the lounge where everyone was relaxing and doing what they wanted. They looked up when the girls entered the room, Harry and Draco raised an eyebrow in question. Hermione nodded.

“Okay everyone!” Harry said, gaining everyone’s attention, “you are now going to hear the reasoning behind the change in this year’s gift giving.” He looked at Rose, “whatcha got for us, kiddo?”

Rose’s eyes grew big, she hadn’t expected to give a speech! She thought about how to say what she had learned, “Well,” she said slowly, “you know all those gifts we always get? The ones we might use once or twice, then put them on a shelf and forget about them?” Her brothers looked perplexed, but her parents nodded encouragingly. “Well, it’s all just...stuff, I guess. For the most part it’s things we could save our allowances for, or even ask Mum and our dads or grandparents for. It’s just stuff, not really important.

What IS important is who the gift came from. Why they thought we would like that particular thing, what they think about us, what we think of them.” She placed her hand over her heart, “it’s about what’s in our hearts about ourselves and each other.”

Her parents nodded knowingly.

“What do you mean it’s all just stuff?” James asked, rebellion in his voice. “The broom I got last year, I actually needed that. I didn’t put it away and forget about it, and the waxing kit and Keeper gloves!”

Rose straightened her spine a little more, “yeah, but Jamie, can you honestly say that our dads, grandparents or Mum wouldn’t have bought one for you anyway since your old broom was broken in a Quidditch game just a couple of weeks before? Christmas just made a convenient time to give it to you. And you do need the waxing kit to take proper care of a broom, and the gloves to play the game properly without hurting yourself.

“Think about it though. How many sweaters, books and games have we gotten, worn or used a few times, then put away because we didn’t really enjoy it? We only thought it was what we wanted, not what we really wanted.”

As the boys thought about what she’d said, she handed the piece of paper she’d been clutching to her Dad; he smiled as he read it, then passed it to Draco, who passed it to his parents, who passed it to Hermione’s.

“I’m proud of you Rose,” Grandma Jean said as she stood and crossed the room to give her granddaughter a hug, “and you’re absolutely right! It’s about what’s in your heart, not how deep your pockets are.

“I came to the same realization when I was about your age,” she said as she returned to her seat. “My parents and I had had a hard year, money was tight, so the gifts were not as numerous as they had been before, but thinking back on it, it was probably the best Christmas I’d ever had. I even still have the necklace I received that year, and wear it every Christmas to remind me that it’s who is in my life that counts, not what they can give me.”

“Right,” said Hermione as she seated herself between her husbands, “I was nine or ten when I figured it out. Money wasn’t tight or anything, but nothing I received that year really filled that hole in my heart. I got some really nice things, but it wasn’t until the rest of the family arrived and we started talking and telling stories about what we’d been doing since we last saw each other that it hit me, it was my family that mattered, not what they could give me. I’ve still got the books and some of the other things I got that year, but it’s the picture Mum took as we all sat around the dinner table that has pride of place on the wall at their place, and it’s still what I remember most about that Christmas.”

Draco cleared his throat nervously, “it wasn’t until I got together with you two,” he said as he looked at his spouses, “that I figured it out. Mother and Father spoiled me rotten as a kid, and you’re right Rose, most of what I got ended up on a shelf and I forgot about it.” He looked at their daughter, giving her his full attention, “I know your grandparents loved me, but for the longest time I felt like I was simply ‘the heir’, I had no other place in their lives. They set me straight once it was announced that I would be marrying your Mum and Dad. You see, they didn’t want me to make the same mistakes they’d made, they wanted me to be happy and healthy, and they realized Harry and Hermione would help me achieve that,” he turned his gaze back to his husband and wife, “and I am beyond happy to be here with them, and you kids, and the grandparents too.”

Narcissa spoke next, “we were quite a bit older when we figured out what Yule was about. It wasn’t until we had that talk with Draco that we figured out we had done him an immense disservice by spoiling him the way we did. We loved him dearly, we just didn’t know how else to show him.”

Lucius nodded in agreement, “my Father was not...kind to me as a child, so I thought I went completely in the opposite direction, and showed my love for him by giving him the things I did not have as a child. What I didn’t realize was that I needed to give him physical love, I was just trying to show it without having to be physical about it.”

Draco got up and went to sit between his parents, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders.

Harry fidgeted nervously before he began speaking, “I didn’t figure it out until my first year at Hogwarts. I stayed at the castle, and your Uncle Ron stayed with me, and the twins. I wasn’t expecting any presents at all, but Ron had written his parents and Grandma Molly had knitted me one of her sweaters even though she hardly knew me, and had only met me the once.” He smiled as he glanced down at the sweater he was wearing, “even now I can feel the love she puts into each of the sweaters she knits for me. Everyone I’ve met since then has shown me how to love, in small ways, and big, but I always learn something from them.

“Now, we’ve decided on doing Christmas, or Yule,” he said as he glanced at Narcissa and Lucius, “this way because we want you all to learn how to give, not just receive, so we’re going to be helping in the local soup kitchen for the dinner rush. We’ve also donated coats, hats, boots and mitts to the homeless and those who can’t afford them.”

The kids all groaned, the adults didn’t look too thrilled either, but everyone bundled up and went out into the bitter cold to make the very short walk to the shelter where they would be serving food. 

It turned out that most of them had a good time. They all learned something, and they learned about that warm glow you get when you do a good deed without expecting anything in return. 

This turned into a yearly family event although some made it their ambition to ease the suffering in the world, and some volunteered much more often.

In the end, they all learned a valuable lesson about the Spirit and the physicality of the season. 


End file.
